Instagram is blocking ‘obscene’ hashtags from search and being a hypocrite about it

Bad news for people who like to push boundaries on Instagam (here’s looking at you, Rihanna): the photo-sharing service doesn’t allow you to search for some of its more scandalous hashtags.

Australian entrepreneur Nick Drewe compiled a list of some of the blocked phrases on Instagram on his blog The Data Pack, and the results are surprising and paint a picture of a rather prude Instagram.

Instagram made its fight against “thinspiration” photos public and introduced new rules to stop users from posting content that promoted eating disorders, so it’s no surprise that searching for #thinspiration leaves you with nothing. And it shouldn’t be too shocking that Instagram is blocking tags clearly meant to bring you to pornographic photos, like #dicks.

But some of the blocked terms are bizarre. You can’t search #thesexpistols, for instance. Does Instagram have a secret vendetta against Johnny Rotten? Hard to say, but the criterion for blocking searches seems faulty, since you can’t look up #wefabulousbitch but you can certainly still look up #junkiesofIG. Now, #wefabulousbitch does contain a curse word, but it seems to convey a theme of female empowerment, while #junkiesofIG celebrates hardcore drug culture.

Some of the stranger blocked phrases include:

#shirtless (Any hashtag that could be used to describe an Abercrombie catalog probably isn’t that salacious.)

#BitchDontKillMyVibes (Pretty sure this would just be Kendrick Lamar-related photos.)

#foodorgasm (Likely refers to delicious brunches… I hope.)

#sofuckingtierd (What?)

#fuckfuel prices (Yes, it says a bad word, but who can argue with the sentiment?!)

#notassexylicousasyou (Did someone actually use this tag?)

#SexualWednesdays (Sounds more entertaining than #tbt.)

In some cases it seems like Instagram is more concerned with banning curse words than hateful or lewd content, probably because it’s easier to simply hide tags with salty language than it is to go through and look for problematic groups of pictures. It’s weird that Instagram lets over 53,000 #thatass photos slide while censoring the likely less popular and less T&A-friendly #jamesmotherfuckingfranco.

This explains why tons of hashtags featuring the “F” word are banned (including the strangely specific #fucktyler) but explicitly racist and discriminatory stuff still slips past. It makes no sense why #SexualWednesdays is banned but you can still look up #uglyslutsaturday, which is apparently a thing and incredibly horrible.

Websites that help you search Instagram on the web like Statigram and Webstagram follow Instagram’s lead with the banned terms, so you can’t get around the issue by using a third party.

And in related “Instagram has strange ideas about what is offensive and inoffensive” news, the photo-sharing site is now the target of anger following its decision to ban one of its members.

Instagram deleted Amy Woodruff’s account after it was flagged by users who took offense towards a photo of Woodruff breastfeeding while in a yoga handstand. Now, other Instagram users are petitioning the site to let Woodruff back on.

They’re using the hashtag #savethedaughterofthesun, and there are over a thousand photos in support Woodruff.

Instagram hasn’t gone full censor, though – you can still search for #savethedaughterofthesun. All in all, it looks like Instagram is being something of a prude. And a hypocritical, arbitrary one at that.

Periscope users can now invite viewers to chime into the conversation with more than just the comment tool. By enabling the option to add guests, livestreamers can add guests to the conversation, in audio format only.

The Home functions in a similar fashion to its main competitor, the Amazon Echo, but has the added benefit of select Google services. Here are few tips to help you make the most of the newfangled device.

Join us as we take a tour through the long-running history of the Madden Curse -- and Tom Brady's recent accolades. We all know John Madden is a longtime NFL talent, but is he also an agent of dark forces?

Just how far will you go for the perfect Instagram? A recent survey shows just how willing Instagram users -- and Instagram husbands -- are to climb, lie down, embarrass themselves or let their food go cold for the perfect shot.

Send a message to the wrong person? Messenger now gives you 10 minutes to take it back. After an update beginning to roll out today, users can now retract messages if they act within the first 10 minutes after sending the message.

YouTube's 2018 Rewind video went down like a lead balloon at the end of last year, becoming the most disliked video in its history. And now YouTube's CEO has admitted that even her own kids thought it was pretty darn awful.

Snapchat's drop in users after launching a controversial redesign has finally stagnated. During the fourth quarter and 2018 earnings report, Snapchat shared that the company is rolling out an Android update designed to increase performance.

Skype's latest feature for desktop lets you blur your background during video calls. The idea is that it keeps you as the focus instead of distracting others with whatever embarrassing things you might have on show behind you.

Twitter's end-of-the-year report for 2018 is a mix of good and bad news. The good news is that more users are seeing adds daily, the metric the company will focus on moving forward. But the bad news is that monthly active users are…

So you've just joined the wonderful world of Reddit and want to explore it. With so many subreddits, however, navigating the "front page of the internet" can be daunting. Here are some of the best subreddits to get you started.